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The question of the best quest lines in WorldofWarcraft is a contentious one, as we all have our favorite (and least favorite) in-game moments, which makes creating a definitive list tricky. However, that's no reason not to give it a go and so Doronsmovies has rounded up his top 5 quest lines in a new video. While these aren't the most lore-heavy or, necessarily, most essential quests, they're all fun (or at least interesting) moments in World of Warcraft history.

Even if you disagree with this particular list, it begs the question as to what your top 5 quest list would be. Would they contain any of the quests from Doron's list or would they be completely unique?
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.

This came to mind while reading theseposts on the forums about tanks queuing up for a dungeon solely to get the early quest item, then dropping the group as soon as they had it, forcing the group to wait to replace them. Tanks can do this because we have instant queues - if you want to tank a dungeon, all you have to do is queue up and you're in almost immediately. Healers sometimes have a bit of a wait, but usually not much of one, and can often have instant queues as well.

DPS? Well, DPS players (the most popular role, so we know it's somewhat self-inflicted) have to wait. On average, they have to wait up to an hour to get into a heroic. So if you're a DPS player queuing up for a heroic, it can be immensely frustrating to finally get that group you've wanted, zone in, help the tank kill the mobs he or she needs to get to that quest item, and then the tank drops the group, at the very least setting you back a half hour if not outright dooming your dungeon run. You did your part - you helped clear to the quest objective. And your reward is more delay.

Rygarius mentions that a solution is in the works (it's now live), that the end boss' death will be an objective of the quests, and I think it's a solid workaround. And the reaction of some players to this workaround is revealing in a way I find disturbing.

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dungeonshealerslfdlooking-for-dungeonqueststankingtanksMon, 15 Dec 2014 15:00:00 -050099|21116506http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/10/final-fantasy-xiv-shows-off-patch-2-4s-story-and-shiva/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/10/final-fantasy-xiv-shows-off-patch-2-4s-story-and-shiva/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/10/final-fantasy-xiv-shows-off-patch-2-4s-story-and-shiva/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
The next major Final Fantasy XIV patch will bring more story content. Every major patch does, after all. A new preview on the official site makes it clear that players will continue working with the Crystal Braves, delving further into the conflict that's brewing deep within Ishgard the threatens all of Eorzea. It also makes it very clear that players will be facing off against fan favorite Ultros in the next installment of the ongoing Gentleman Inspector Hildibrand storyline, which should delight Final Fantasy VI fans even more than their magitek armor mounts.

You can also take a peek at a preview of the coming battle against Shiva; the Hard version is part of the storyline, while the Extreme battle requires players to first clear The Striking Tree (Extreme). It promises to be a pretty cool fight. Take a look at the previews, and keep your eyes peeled for when the patch is going live.

Shiva preview, Story preview
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endgameffff14ffxivffxiv-patch-2.4final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivnewsnews-itemspatchpatch-previewspatchesprimalprimalsquestquestssquaresquare-enixstoryupdateupdatesFri, 10 Oct 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20975919http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/09/captains-log-supplemental-exploring-the-story-of-star-trek-onl/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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If you think about it, Star Trek: Voyager is basically a remake of Gilligan's Island. Ship goes out for a routine trip and gets stranded, and for the next several years the crew of that ship tries to get back home and repeatedly fails. I bring this up because I recently had a chance to to on a tour of Star Trek Online: Delta Rising, and I kept thinking that "going on a tour" was just the first step before being stranded in the quadrant myself.

Well, maybe not, but it's as good a segue as anything.

Lead Designer Al Rivera and Senior Producer Stephen Ricossa took me on a trip through all of the various systems of Delta Rising and several of the upcoming story elements. If you don't want to be spoiled on the expansion before it goes live, you might want to steer clear, but there are some fascinating developments awaiting otherwise. When players finally warp into the Delta Quadrant, they're going to be seeing familiar faces and facing some old problems -- very old, in one case.

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backstorycaptains-logcrypticcryptic-studiosdelta-risingepisodesexpansionexpansionsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playgame-mechanicslevellevelsloremissionsopinionperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentpwequestssci-fistar-trekstar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestar-trek-online-delta-risingstostoryThu, 09 Oct 2014 13:00:00 -0400319|20975310http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/09/final-fantasy-xiv-previews-the-rogue-and-ninja/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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Limsa Lominsa is a rough town. There are pirates, layabouts, and all manner of shifty people at Final Fantasy XIV's island port city. The Yellowjackets keep the order in the streets, of course, but who keeps things clean in the back alleys? Why, the dashing Rogues, of course, the subject of the newest patch 2.4 preview on the official site. They might be cutthroats, brigands, and thieves, but they've still got a city to keep in one piece.

The preview also discusses Ninja, the job recently imported to Eozea from the Far East with the arrival of the Doman refugees. The preview makes it clear that both class and job will follow the usual progression for quests and gives a small slice of the flavor players can expect, but even the secondary class for Ninja is still shrouded in mystery, which is frustrating if you want to get leveling done before it goes live... but then, would you really expect the most stealthy class to give away all of its secrets?

Rogue and Ninja preview
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backstoryclassclass-previewclassesconsoleconsolesfantasyffff14ffxivffxiv-patch-2.4final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivlorenewsnews-itemsninjaquestsrogueroguessquaresquare-enixThu, 09 Oct 2014 12:30:00 -0400319|20975447http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/03/the-daily-grind-how-should-mmo-quests-be-delivered/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/03/the-daily-grind-how-should-mmo-quests-be-delivered/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/03/the-daily-grind-how-should-mmo-quests-be-delivered/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I was tinkering in Ultima Online last week when I spied something I had forgotten about: quest givers with yellow exclamation points over their heads! In Ultima Online! The much-maligned mechanic has even retroactively invaded ancient sandboxes.

But I started to wonder what MMO players would accept as a mechanic for quest delivery. World of Warcraft's exclamation points are hated, Star Wars Galaxies' mission terminals seemed artificial, WildStar fans complain about pop-up quests, and there's no way I'd want to go back to EverQuest's keyword-based quest text. Hail, a_quest_giver_001!

So how, exactly, do you want your MMO quests doled out?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

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brianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindeqeverquestmission-terminalopinionquestquest-deliveryquestsstar-wars-galaxiesswgtdgthe-daily-grindUltima-OnlineuowildstarWorld-of-WarcraftwowFri, 03 Oct 2014 08:00:00 -0400319|20969803http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/21/the-daily-grind-whats-the-grossest-quest-youve-ever-done/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/21/the-daily-grind-whats-the-grossest-quest-youve-ever-done/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/21/the-daily-grind-whats-the-grossest-quest-youve-ever-done/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
So yesterday I picked up piles of dookie in ArcheAge. Yes, there really is a quest in Anvilton that requires you to go around and fill your bag with yata manure, yatas being those floppy-eared rabbit/kangaroo mount things.

As if stuffing crap in my quest bag wasn't enough, there's an occasional overpowering stench status effect that causes my character to temporarily pass out and fall down. Finally, the end of the quest required me to deposit a huge helping of poo on an NPC's workbench, complete with buzzing fly and rising steam animations.

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

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aaanimated-dookiearche-agearcheagecrapdookiefantasygrossgross-questgrossest-questspoopvpquestssandboxsandparktriontrion-worldsxl-gamesxlgamesSun, 21 Sep 2014 08:00:00 -0400319|20965304http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/09/10/warlords-of-draenor-tanaan-stress-test-today-at-3-00-p-m-pacif/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=WoW&ncid=rss_semi
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If you've got the free time and access to the Warlords beta, consider lending a hand to the development team and joining the Tanaan Jungle stress test, today, September 10th, at 3:00 pm Pacific time. The level 100 realms will be turned off for the duration of the test, and the Blues are encouraging us all to create new level 90s in order to test the server load on the Tanaan Jungle introductory quests. This is an important aspect of Warlords of Draenor, particularly because everyone will have to do these quests at the beginning of the expansion. The more accurate data Blizzard has on what their servers can handle, the better they can make the early expansion experience for all of us.

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betabeta-testbeta-testingquestsstress-testtanaan-junglewarlords-betawarlords-of-draenor-betaWed, 10 Sep 2014 15:00:00 -040099|20960445http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/18/the-mog-log-expectations-for-final-fantasy-xiv-2-35/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/18/the-mog-log-expectations-for-final-fantasy-xiv-2-35/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/18/the-mog-log-expectations-for-final-fantasy-xiv-2-35/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
I realize it's kind of silly, but I'm still annoyed at Final Fantasy XIV's methods for numbering interquel patches. I get the schema, I really do, but "2.35" to me says a patch that's preceded by 34 others. "2.3.5." would indicate a patch partway through the 2.3 patch cycle. Could we get another dot in there? Please?

No, evidently not. And yes, I know we'll probably have an expansion long before we'd be that far through 2.x, it's the principle of the thing.

As I write this, we still don't have a preliminary set of patch notes or anything on 2.35, but while it's a "minor" patch it's still adding a fair amount of stuff into the game. This is one of the great parts about playing the game, that however bad some parts of it might be when it comes to balance, it pumps out content as minor patches that makes other studios look painfully lazy. Specifics are left to the audience for speculation. So what am I expecting from this week's little patch, the known and the unknown?

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balanceconsoleconsoleselephantsequipmentfantasyfeaturedffff14ffxivffxiv-patch-2.35final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivgearloremog-logoliphantsopinionpatchpatchespvppvp-mechanicsquestquestssquaresquare-enixsquenixstatsthe-mog-logupdateupdatesMon, 18 Aug 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20948120http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/14/massively-exclusive-previewing-path-of-exiles-tora-master-of/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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The newest expansion to Path of Exile is all about the eponymous Masters -- their goals, their attitudes, and what they can teach the player. Tora is fairly straightforward in all of the above. She is all about the hunt, taking out the monsters that surround Wraeclast, and in her own words, she wants to root out the corruption that has taken root in her world now, before it does any further harm to the natural balance.

I had a chance to speak with producer Chris Wilson about Tora and the expansion as a whole the other day, and he happily shared details both about Tora herself and one of the new challenge leagues that will be going live with the expansion on August 20th. Hop on past the break to see Tora's video introduction and to learn more about what players can expect from the huntress, the challenge league, and the expansion in general.
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action-mmochallengechallenge-leagueschallengesdiabloexpansionexpansionsf2pfantasyfeaturedforsaken-mastersfree-to-playgame-mechanicsgrinding-geargrinding-gear-gameshideoutshousingmechanicsmissionmissionspatchpatchespath-of-exilepath-of-exile-forsaken-mastersplayer-areasplayer-housingpoequestquestsroguelikeupdateupdatesThu, 14 Aug 2014 16:00:00 -0400319|20947066http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/12/final-fantasy-xis-august-update-is-live/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/12/final-fantasy-xis-august-update-is-live/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/12/final-fantasy-xis-august-update-is-live/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
At long last, players in Final Fantasy XI won't need to use macros to handle gear-swapping; the game's August update adds an equipment set manager to let you swap sets easily and painlessly. Oh, and it adds new Seekers of Adoulin missions as well as a variety of other content, so that's nice. But really, no equipment-swapping macros any more -- that alone should change people's lives.

The update also adds Alluvion Skirmishes, new alter egos, and new NPCs to direct players toward quests, tutorials, and maps. Players will also benefit from a variety of job balance improvements and new ways to spend job points, not to mention the addition of new items as both craftable items and battle rewards. Whether you've been playing the game for a long time or just started jumping into it recently, there's plenty to enjoy within the update, and it can be downloaded now.

August version update notes
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classclass-improvementsclassesfantasyffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xigame-mechanicsgame-modesjobjobsmissionmissionsnewsnews-itemspatchpatchesquestquest-linequestssquaresquare-enixstorystorylinetutorialsupdateupdatesTue, 12 Aug 2014 19:00:00 -0400319|20945837http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/08/12/warlords-of-draenor-the-iron-horde-invasion-alliance-edition/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=WoW&ncid=rss_semi
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One of the newer additions to the Warlords of Draenor beta is the Iron Horde invasion of the Blasted Lands. I'm a bit unsure as to whether this is a permanent change or if this is a testing phase for a temporary event, but the new flight point makes me lean toward permanent. You can grab the breadcrumb quest into this series from the Hero's Call Board in Stormwind, where you are told that Vindicator Maraad awaits you in the Blasted Lands. There's a convenient portal right next to the board so you can just hop on in and head over to the new quests.

Beyond this point lie some fairly hefty spoilers for the early part of Warlords of Draenor, so if you're trying to avoid those, pass this article by!

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alliancealliance-questsblasted-landsiron-hordekhadgarquestingquestsspoilersvarian-wrynnvindicator-maraadwarlords-of-draenorwarlords-of-draenor-betawod-spoilersTue, 12 Aug 2014 18:00:00 -040099|20944162http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/12/darkfall-quests-coming-soon/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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Quests are coming soon to Darkfall, according to the latest blurb on the fantasy PvP sandbox's website. Aventurine says its quest system has allowed it "to craft some fairly open-ended journeys," and that players will find both readily available and "hidden and obscure" quests.

Crafting tutorial quests are in the works as well, not to mention player-created quests drawn from a recent contest.

Announcement
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agonaventurinedarkfalldarkfall-questsdarkfall-unholy-warsdffantasyopen-pvppvpquestingquestssandboxunholy-warszomg-quests-in-darkfallTue, 12 Aug 2014 14:00:00 -0400319|20945766http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/06/rift-launches-patch-2-8-madness-wakes/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/06/rift-launches-patch-2-8-madness-wakes/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/06/rift-launches-patch-2-8-madness-wakes/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
It's not quite time for the next RIFT expansion, but it is time to prep for it. Patch 2.8: Madness Wakes adds a new series of quests to lead into the story of the next major version update, with players heading to Tempest Bay to confront some dark dreams. That pairs up with the addition of a new five-person level 60 dungeon, Nightmare Coast, with new items and quests to send players after a mysterious cult.

Players also have access to a revamped auction house (which has caused some player consternation regarding its fees), major updates to the Pyromancer soul, and the ability to see the source of an item when inspecting another player. There are also various bugfixes, balance changes, and the like. Check out the full patch notes here, and if you're ready to start gearing up for the game's second expansion, log in and start getting crazy.

RIFT 2.8: Madness Wakes patch notes, The new Auction House
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backstorydungeondungeonsendgamef2pfantasyfree-to-playlorenewsnews-itemspatchpatchespvpquestquestsriftrift-literift-patch-2.8rift-planes-of-telararvrtailersthree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvptrailertriontrion-worldsupdateupdatesvideovideosWed, 06 Aug 2014 18:00:00 -0400319|20943038http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/27/know-your-lore-quests-story-and-you-in-warlords-of-draenor/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=WoW&ncid=rss_semi
http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/27/know-your-lore-quests-story-and-you-in-warlords-of-draenor/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/27/know-your-lore-quests-story-and-you-in-warlords-of-draenor/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=WoW#commentsThe World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

A new expansion is certainly about delivering new content, but it's also a vehicle for story progression -- and the end of Mists of Pandaria left behind plenty of questions waiting to be answered. Unfortunately, any questions having to do with Pandaria or Azeroth will have to wait, as we have other, more pressing matters to think about. In Warlords of Draenor, the Iron Horde looms just over the horizon, a threat eerily reminiscent of the old Horde that began the First War so many years ago. Except the Iron Horde is stronger, more organized, and bolstered by the knowledge of just what's on the other side of that Dark Portal they are constructing, thanks to Garrosh Hellscream.

That story, the story of Warlords of Draenor, is taking us in a different kind of direction, the likes of which we haven't seen before. While Mists may have pushed the button on innovation as far as max-level content was concerned, its seemingly never-ending cycle of daily quests upon daily quests quickly grew from entertainment to frustration as players quickly grew tired of the cycle of daily gated content and rewards. Warlords has none of that -- but it does have a whole host of new ways to make the story feel important, without overpowering how the player approaches the game.

Please note: The following Know Your Lore contains small spoilers for Warlords of Draenor.

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arakkoachogallfeaturedgarrisonsgrommash-hellscreamguideguide-to-loreguldaniron-hordelorelore-guidequestsrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidestorytanaan-junglewarlords-of-draenorwarlords-storyworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingyrelSun, 27 Jul 2014 20:00:00 -040099|20937253http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/18/wows-warlords-of-draenor-beta-a-disappointing-start/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/18/wows-warlords-of-draenor-beta-a-disappointing-start/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/18/wows-warlords-of-draenor-beta-a-disappointing-start/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
My time with the Draenor beta has been an overwhelming disappointment.

Warlords of Draenor is to World of Warcraft as Man of Steel is to the Superman mythos. It's an effort to collect classic elements with no regard for the setting in which they make sense, throwing them together like line items. It's aware of the history of the franchise only as a resource to mine, and it's just giving us all of the old familiar pieces without the parts that made those pieces memorable.

Imagine watching Harrison Ford pretending to be Indiana Jones despite being far too old for the role now, locked in a script with no sense of momentum or energy, going through the motions in a way that's not just lackluster but actively kind of shameful. Imagine Frank Miller writing Batman as a parody of what people thought his original versions of Batman were anyway without the slightest sense of irony. That should give you some idea of where I am when it comes to Warlords of Draenor. It's loads of classic ideas, stuff that I desperately want to like, but it's ultimately just not very good, and it certainly doesn't come together.

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activisionactivision-blizzardbetabetasblizzardblizzard-entertainmentexpansionexpansionsfeaturedgame-mechanicshands-onloremechanicsnewsnews-itemsopinionquestquestswarlords-of-draenorwodworld-of-warcraftwowFri, 18 Jul 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20925728http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/13/the-daily-grind-how-much-time-do-you-spend-on-irritating-quests/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/13/the-daily-grind-how-much-time-do-you-spend-on-irritating-quests/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/13/the-daily-grind-how-much-time-do-you-spend-on-irritating-quests/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
Yesterday I spent an hour and a half doing this stupid jumping puzzle in The Secret World. It was the fifth tier of a six-tier sabotage quest in Transylvania, and I absolutely hated every minute of it! I kept at, though, inventing a few new curse words along the way, and I finally finished the quest.

What about you, Massively readers? How much time do you spend trying to complete frustrating or irritating quests?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

Leveling content and design has been an ongoing process since day one of WoW. In vanilla, quest chains would literally send you from one end of Azeroth to the other and back again in search of some relic or document or other item that was vitally important to the NPC who happened to be on the wrong continent to retrieve it. As time went on, quest flow was re-designed again and again, with more of an eye for keeping things bite-size and compact, less lengthy and drawn out. In Cataclysm, that envelope was arguably pushed too far, featuring story-heavy leveling zones that felt like they were on rails, leading players from one hub to the next with little exploration encouraged. Thankfully, Mists relaxed the rigid structure and went a little more free-form with quest flow.

It's hard to describe the differences in quest progression and flow on the beta for Warlords. Although the test servers are currently riddled with players, which means they are also riddled with extreme amounts of lag here and there, it's still possible to get an overall idea of how the quest design and flow has changed from Mists ... and there are some major changes afoot.

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questingquestsscenariosshadowmoon-valleysolo-scenarioswarlords-of-draenorwarlords-of-draenor-alphawarlords-of-draenor-questsSun, 29 Jun 2014 18:00:00 -040099|20921822http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/16/square-details-final-fantasy-xi-june-update/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/16/square-details-final-fantasy-xi-june-update/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/16/square-details-final-fantasy-xi-june-update/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsFinal Fantasy XI's upcoming June update will see a gaggle of new quests for the city of Adoulin. According to official word from Square Enix, players will "find out more about the Order of Janniston's struggles with a young man who suddenly fell ill in 'Sick and Tired,' and they'll witness the struggles of Cid's son Midras as he researches new ways to grow vegetables on the Ulbukan continent in 'Vegetable Vegetable Crisis.' Experience a different side of Adoulin with these and other serial tales!"

The June update is scheduled to drop tomorrow, June 17th. You can find out more info on the official forums.

ZAM
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adoulinfantasyffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xiquestssquaresquare-enixMon, 16 Jun 2014 13:00:00 -0400319|20913349http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/09/the-nexus-telegraph-the-first-week-in-wildstar/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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Full launch for WildStar has come and gone, the servers have been up and running for a week, and I've been hacking away at various enemies of the Dominion like a good soldier. As I write this, my main is 23, although I'd probably be a fair bit higher by now if I hadn't stopped quite so many times for roleplaying and to decorate my house. (Not too much of that, though, I need to afford that spacious house once I get to a valid level.)

It's safe to say that I'm enjoying the game a whole lot. Server loads seem to have largely stabilized, at least from my end, and the fullness of time has given me more opportunities to run more stuff and really enjoy a wider variety of what's in the game. There's some good stuff, some annoying stuff, and some things that kind of cut both ways at the same time. So let's just dive in, shall we?

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adventurecarbinecarbine-studioscolumndaventuresdungeondungeonsfeaturedfirst-impressionsgame-mechanicslaunchlaunch-daylaunch-weeklaunchesncsoftnexusnexus-telegraphopinionquestquestssandparksci-fantasysci-fithe-nexus-telegraphwildstarMon, 09 Jun 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20908587http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/05/final-fantasy-xiv-updates-with-sightseeing-weapons-and-poses/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/05/final-fantasy-xiv-updates-with-sightseeing-weapons-and-poses/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/05/final-fantasy-xiv-updates-with-sightseeing-weapons-and-poses/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsFinal Fantasy XIV is going to have a big week at E3 next week. That's not speculation; Naoki Yoshida is running two live letters from the show floor, and players have been promised big announcements. But a big patch has just dropped for the game, and patch 2.28 brings plenty for players to enjoy all by itself. The promise of more in the near future is just icing on the cake.

Owners of Animus weapons can now continue advancing their weapons to Novus incarnations, with larger Mythology tomestone rewards making the road to Animus a bit less onerous. The patch also includes the new sightseeing log, challenging players to find the scenic vistas across Eorzea. It also improves the existing posing system, with new poses for each race and a memory of what pose you were in when you move. You can read through the full patch notes to get an idea of everything contained therein, and take a gander at the Ramuh preview for an idea of what's coming next in patch 2.3.

Patch 2.28 notes, Ramuh preview
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consoleconsolesemotesfantasyffff14ffxivffxiv-patch-2.28final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivimprovementsnewsnews-itemspatchpatchesquestssightseeingsquaresquare-enixupdateupdatesupgrade-questsupgradesvistavistasThu, 05 Jun 2014 14:30:00 -0400319|20907523http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/12/final-fantasy-xis-may-version-update-is-on-its-way/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
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You there! Are you ready for Final Fantasy XI's May version update? Are you ready for all of it? Do you know everything that's in it? Because there's a lot of stuff in there, as listed in the patch notes and as revealed in the official trailer just past the break. Sure, you could probably guess at the inclusion of new Seekers of Adoulin missions and more high-level battlefields, but there's a lot more in there.

For example, new alter egos are being added to the Trust system, including everyone's favorite limit break questgiver, Maat. Adventuring fellows get a level cap bump to 99, new Abyssea objectives are being introduced, new Job Point categories are being added... heck, there's even new food in place that can affect your pet. That's a lot of good stuff. Maybe you should watch the trailer past the break, read the patch notes, and get ready for the full update to go live on May 15th.

ZAMMay version update notes
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endgamefantasyffff11ffxifinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-11final-fantasy-xihigh-level-contentmay-version-updatemissionsnewsnews-itemspatchpatchespreviewquestquestssquaresquare-enixtrailertrailersupdateupdate-previewupdatesversion-updatevideovideosMon, 12 May 2014 14:00:00 -0400319|20884295http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/could-wow-have-an-expansion-without-raiding/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=WoW&ncid=rss_semi
http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/could-wow-have-an-expansion-without-raiding/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/could-wow-have-an-expansion-without-raiding/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=WoW#comments
I have raided in World of Warcraft since the beginning. Raiding has always been a big part of why I play the game. If not the reason I play, certainly a reason. So when I was sitting up last night and it occurred to me that I've never gone an entire expansion without raiding, I didn't initially think anything of it -- to me, raiding is what you do in WoW. But then I started really thinking about it. Because lots of people don't raid. Before the rise of LFR and flex, a lot of players -- the majority of players, really -- never set foot in a raid at all. They had 5-mans, and that was basically it for group content for them outside of PvP.

So I started asking myself if it would be possible to release an expansion with little to no raiding content at all. Would players accept it? It's a cliche (and an overused one among the community) that Blizzard didn't do this or that 'because it would cost us a raid tier' but let's really consider -- what if we could have the expansion next month, but it wouldn't have any raids? Would that be an expansion people would be willing to play?

One of the reasons I consider this a more controversial question that it would have been at the end of Wrath is because now, raiding is far, far more accessible than it was even then. With the advent of LFR and the recent development of flexible raiding, it's never been easier to raid than it is. While Warlords of Draenor is changing the raid game, those changes will only make mythic raiding in any way more restrictive -- the rest of raiding will remain very accessible.

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dungeondungeonseventsquestingquestsraidingraidngraidswarlords-of-draenorworld-bossworld-bossesworld-eventsTue, 29 Apr 2014 19:00:00 -040099|20877686http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/31/the-mog-log-a-couple-of-days-in-final-fantasy-xivs-patch-2-2/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/31/the-mog-log-a-couple-of-days-in-final-fantasy-xivs-patch-2-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/31/the-mog-log-a-couple-of-days-in-final-fantasy-xivs-patch-2-2/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#comments
After a couple of weeks of a break from Final Fantasy XIV, I happily patched up and got back into the mix on Thursday evening. Unfortunately, I'm writing this up on Sunday morning, and honestly there's too much for me to have a firm grasp upon the entirety of it after three days. Due to schedule weirdness, I haven't even finished my usual dungeon diving. There's a whole lot to see, and I've been able to get only a top-level overview.

That having been said, I've assembled a nice new outfit via Glamours, I've tired the most brand-spanking-new dungeon, I've started in on questing, and I've submitted myself to challenges. I don't think I love this patch quite as much as its predecessor, partly since this one is more heavily focused upon the endgame portion I'm not fond of, but there's still a lot of great stuff buried in there and plenty of elements to love.

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backstoryconsoleconsolesdesigndungeondungeonsendgamefantasyfeaturedffff14ffxivffxiv-patch-2.2final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivloreloresmog-logopinionpatch-2.2questssquaresquare-enixsquenixstorythe-mog-logMon, 31 Mar 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20859401http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/03/14/no-new-class-no-new-race-no-problem/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=WoW&ncid=rss_semi
http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/03/14/no-new-class-no-new-race-no-problem/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/03/14/no-new-class-no-new-race-no-problem/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=WoW#comments
This is one of those title says it all posts, but I'll elaborate: the fact that there is neither a new class nor a new race in Warlords of Draenor isn't a problem. First up, there's the obvious fact that we're getting redesigns for the eight original races plus draenei and blood elves. In terms of art design, that's an incredible amount of work, far more than designing one or even two new races. Racial abilities for each race are also being redesigned, meaning each will play differently. Moreover, by not introducing a new race or class, we don't need to have a starter zone designed for them, meaning that content design can focus on content for the 90 to 100 player, especially since thanks to the level 90 boost, it can be assumed that anyone who picks up Warlords and wants to play it can.

As has been said elsewhere, new races and classes are not content in and of themselves. They consume time and development resources to create them, and often they have content associated with them, and that content is usually only playable when you create one of them (although the monk did not actually get that treatment - save for one location in Pandaria that offered monk only quests, as a kind of home base, monks didn't see the death knight starter zone style experience) but by themselves a new race or class is just a different way to experience content. This is not to say they are not important. New classes offer new gameplay options, new abilities and spells, and sometimes new roles for players who did not enjoy, say, tanking or healing on previous classes.

But I think it's fair to say that World of Warcraft doesn't need the added complexity of three new specializations to balance right now. There's going to be a lot of work needed to balance out new spells and abilities, adjust item levels, change the way healing works while ensuring it does still work, implement entirely new gameplay like garrisons without also figuring out how to keep another class in the mix with the other 34 specializations we already have. Similarly, while I mourn for my alliance ogre paladin and horde arakkoa druid, do we need two more groups of racials to balance out?